Well written. The difference between pros and cons really comes down to fundamental views on how life should be lived and how society should be organized.
So, if one principal manages to turn a school around while another doesn't—or if one staff is truly engaged in projects while the other just clocks in and out—isn't that ultimately down to the leadership? interesting
But honestly, some high schools actually have things running really smoothly. I’ve said this before, but I think that’s where we need to start looking—if a principal just isn't up to the task, they should probably be replaced.
If I remember correctly, I think people were saying enrollment at that school was pretty low to begin with. 🤔 So it’s not surprising they’re trying out new things just to attract students—or rather, parents. 😁 (edit: rowdypanther12 beat me to it)
Regarding those federal grants and exchange programs, from my own experience, they always look much better on paper than they do in practice, especially for the kids. I’m not saying the kids aren't doing anything, but when you compare the paperwork to reality, there's a gap. Still, hey, at least they're pulling funds to actually get stuff done. Any kind of change is probably a step forward. My kid's school wasn't part of the first wave of reforms, they aren't in any STEM initiatives, and they don't have those fancy exchange programs. Even so, some teachers—especially the younger ones—still put in the work to push for changes and snag some decent tech for their classrooms. 🙏
I was actually thinking the same thing; my kid's school has implemented things mentioned in the post, like dedicated reading and math corners... But honestly, it’s tough to get much done when you're dealing with overcrowded classrooms.
Downtown areas have been struggling with "closing down" warnings for years because there just aren't enough kids living there. Honestly, nobody wants to deal with the chaos of city life anymore 😂 The only places you actually see a crowd of children are at the local schools where they bus them in from all over the suburbs
If we were talking about retraining—you know, people who already have degrees but decided they’d rather be machinists than chefs—then I think this would be a great idea. It should focus strictly on technical skills and leave it at that. But if these are high schoolers just picking their path, we really ought to maintain some level of a broad foundation in their education.
I mean, you aren't wrong. Some schools are under an incredible amount of pressure right now. At my daughter's school, there's zero space in the cafeteria, so kids just end up in after-school care because there's nowhere else to go. And honestly, all the other schools in our neighborhood are dealing with the exact same overcrowding issues.
Here’s a shot from my daughter’s school. This current freshman class has over 30 students in every single fourth-grade classroom. Now, just imagine trying to fit 35 kids into a tiny 200-square-foot room for ten hours a day during after-school care. It's a nightmare. Back when my little one started, every class had fewer than 25 students.
Class sizes should be reduced more for the students' sake than the teachers' 😂 If we had about 15 kids per room instead of 35, the quality of learning would be so much better.
It’s actually pretty straightforward. While the total number of kids might be similar, they’re spread out across much smaller class sizes in a lot more schools.
If they would just invest properly in building more schools so all kids could attend in a single shift, we wouldn't be facing a teacher shortage; we'd actually have a surplus.
Quick question: is there any kind of spray or something I could use after training to keep my karate gear from smelling 😁 ? How do you guys deal with this in general? I washed my hand wraps last summer, but I really feel like I should be doing something after every single session to prevent the odor. Help!
Semantics matter more than people realize. It’s like how I never actually ask my boss for permission to step out, I just let them know I have to go; one is a request, while the other is just stating a fact. 😁
They wouldn't let me officially withdraw from my Latin class, so I just stopped showing up. Eventually, the unexcavated absences piled up so high that during the graduation ceremony, they decided to just drop me from the rolls instead of formally expelling me from school.😂